Tightening device for drums.



Patented Dot. 3l, |899.

J. W. INGALSBE.

TIGHTENING DEVICE FOR DRUMS.

(Application led Mar. 31, 1899.)

V(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JUDSON IV. INGALSBE, OF ONAGA, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO i CHARLES GREEN, OF WIIEATON, KANSAS.

TIGHTENING DEVICE FOR DRUMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters 'Patent No. 635,856, dated Gctober 31, 1899.

Application filed March 31, 1899. Serial No. 711,316. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, .IUDSON XV. INGALSBE, a citizen of the United States,residin g at Onaga, in the county of Pottawatomie and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Tightening Device for Drums, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to tightening devices for drums of that class which employ two skins or heads, known to the art by the technical name of batter-heads and snareheads, respectively.

It is not new in the art to provide tightener devices arranged for operation to strain the two heads independently of each other, and while this is a very desirable feature the separate adjustment of the heads involves considerable time, because each tension device must be operated twice.

The object of the present invention is to pro vide an improved tension device capable of adjusting the drum-heads separately to secure the desired tension on the batter-head independently of the adjustment of the snarehead; but at the same time my tension device is adapted for adjustment to strain both drumheads at one and the same operation after the heads shall have been separately placed under the desired tension, whereby slack inthe heads due to atmospheric changes and other causes may be taken up without involving disturbance of the tension of the two heads with respect to each other.

A further object of the invention is to pro` vide an improved tension device which may be secured firmly to the drum-shell in a manner for the operating elements to be retained securely in place, and which shall, furthermore, be simple in construction and easy of adjustment.

To the attainment of these ends the invention consists in the novel combination of elements and the construction and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

To enable others to understand the invention, I have illustrated the preferred embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a drum Ythreaded sockets 20.

with my tightener devices applied thereto. Fig.- 2 is a vertical sectional view, on an cnlarged scale, through a part of the drum and illustrating the tightener more clearly. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the plane indi-A cated by the dotted line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. et is a detailed perspective view of the parts of the tightener detached or separated one from the other. Fig. 5 is a detailed view of the wrench which may be used for adjusting the tightener.

The saine numerals of reference are used in all the figures in the designation of identical parts.

In order that others skilled in the art may understand the invention, I have illustrated an ordinary drum by Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, in which a shell is indicated by the numeral 10, the batter-head and snare-head by 11 and 12, respectively, and the rims by 13 and la. These elements are all ordinary in the art and no novelty therefor is set up in this application. The rims 18 and 14- of the two drum-heads are connected by aplurality of tension devices which are disposed outside of the shell 10. The improvement in the present case resides in the novel construction and adaptation of these tension devices, and I will now proceed to describe one of said tension devices, it being understood that the following description is applicable to each of the series of tension devices.

The baseplate 15 is applied in vertical position to the outside of the shell 10 at a point between the rims 13 14, said base-plate being provided in its outer or exposed face with transverse grooves 16, that constitute seats for a pair of supporting-jaws. A cla1nping-plate 17 is fitted against the inner surface of the drum-shell in a position opposite to the baseplate. The supporting-jaws 1S are provided with foot-flanges 19, which are fashioned to fit snugly in the seat 1G of the base-plate, and these jaws are, furthermore, provided with The base and clamping plates 15 17 and the jaws 1S are secured iirmly 'to the shell by means of screws 2l, which pass through registering apertures 22, formed in the clamping-plate, the drum-shell, and the base-plate, and these screws engage with the threads in the sockets 2O of the jaws IOC) 18. The heads of the screws bear against the clamping-plate 17, and said screws serve to draw the jaws 18 firmly against the base-plate 15, whereby the several parts are clamped firmly to the shell 10.

A revoluble sleeve 23 is provided at one end with a polygonal head 24, and the opposite end of this sleeve is threaded internally with a right-hand female thread25. Acompanion sleeve 26 is provided with a similar head 27 and with a left-hand female thread 28. 13etween the contiguous heads of the two revoluble sleeves 23 26 is interposed a bearing-plate 29, which is secured iirmly to the base-plate 15, and this bearing-plate is provided with an angular or square aperture 30. The sleeves 23 26 are cylindrical except for the polygonal heads 24 27 on their adjacent ends, and said sleeves are iitted loosely in transverse openings 33, which are provided in the pair of jaws 18. The function of the bearing-plate 29 is to support a connecting pin or arbor 31, which is fittedl or attached to the plate 29 and is extended into the heads and the sleeves. This conneetingpin 31 is cylindrical except for a square central boss 32, the contour and dimensions of which correspond to the hole 30 of the bearing-plate.

By reference to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the bearing-plate 29 is supported on the plate at a point midway between the jaws 18 and that the sleeves 23 26 are tted loosely in the openings of the jaws and for the polygonal heads 24 27 to lie on opposite sides of the bearing-plate. The heads of the two sleeves are thus arranged contiguous one to the other, but are separated by the bearing-plate, and each sleeve is confined against endwise movement on the supporting device formed by the plate and the jaws, owing to the fact that one end of the polygonal head abuts against one jaw and the opposite end of said head impinges against the supporting-plate. The function of the connecting-pin 31 is to furnish an internal support for the sleeves in order to maintain them in alinement and prevent said sleeves from assuming eanted or tilted positions, said conneeting-pin being itself supported in place by the bearing-plate- The alined sleeves are thus mounted in the jaws to rotate 'freely therein independently one of the other, and each sleeve is restrained from endwise movement.

The independently-adjustablc sleeves 23 26 receive the inner ends of the tension-rods 34: 35, respectively. One of the rods is provided with a right-hand male thread to screw into the similarly-formed thread of one of the rev-A oluble sleeves; but the other rod is provided with a left-hand male thread adapted to be screwed into a like female thread of the other sleeve. The rod 34E is provided with a hook 36, adapted to clasp the rim 13; but the other rod 35 has a hook 37 to clasp the rim 14:.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, it will be understood that the sleeve of cach tension deesase vice may be rotated in its support in one direction to draw the rod 3st inwardly for the purpose of making its hook adjust the rim 13, and as each tension device may have its sleeve 23 operated as described the rods 3i are adapted to draw or strain the batter-head 11 independently of any adjustment of the snare-head 12. In like manner the sleeves 26 of the tension devices may be rotated to adjust the rods 35 for the purpose of drawing the rim 14 inwardly to adjust the snare-l1ead 12, and this adjustment of the snare-head is effected without disturbing the tension of the batter-head.

One of the salient features of my invention is the adaptation of the tension devices to have their sleeves 26 adjusted simultaneously, and this end is attained by disposing the polygonal heads 24s 27 of each pair of sleeves 23 26 contiguous to each other in order that the two sleeves 23 26 may be rotated simultaneously by a suitable implement for the purpose of drawing the right and left threaded rods 3JL 35 inward toward each other at one operation.

As a suitable means for adjusting the sleeves 23 26 individually or simultaneously, l have provided a wrench 38. (Illustrated by Fig. 5 of the drawings.) This wrench consists of a bar or shank having a narrow jaw 39 at one end thereof, and the other end of this bar or shank is formed with a wide jaw a0, which is adapted to span the bearing-plate 29 and to engage with the heads 24 27 of the two sleeves. The wrench may be used to adjust either sleeve 23 or 26 by iitting the narrow jaw 39 to the head of the proper sleeve and manipulating the wrench to turn the sleeve, it being understood that the wrench may be applied to the head of either sleeve 23 or 26. ln order to adjust the sleeves 23 26 of the tension device simultaneously, the operator reverses the wrench 38 to bring its wide jaw LO into position for use, and this jaw may be fitted to the tension device in a position to span the bearing-plate 29 and engage with the contiguous heads 24- 27 of the two sleeves c)3 26. By turning the wrench in a proper direetion the sleeves 23 26 may be turned for equal distances simultaneously, and the rods 34 35 are thus adapted to be drawn inwardly in order to strain the batter and snare heads at one operation.

Changes in the form, proportion, size, and the minor detailsV of construction within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacri- .(icing any of the advantages of this invention.

1. A tension device for drums consisting of the revoluble coupling-sleeves arranged in alinement with each other, and right and left threaded rods connected separately to said coupling-sleeves, the latter being supported in alinement with each other, substantially as described.

2. A tension device for drums consisting of IOO IIO

ISO

the independently-revoluble sleeves having right and left hand threads, the right and left threaded adjusting-rods screwed separately in said sleeves, and means for sl'ipportiug the sleeves in alinement with each other,whereby the sleeves may be turned collectively er individually, as set forth.

3. A tension device for drums consisting of the independently-revoluble threaded sleeves, the right and left threaded rods screwed inte said sleeves, and a connecting-pin supported independently of the sleeves and engaging therewith, substantially as described.

4. A tension device for drums consisting of a base-plate, jaws supported thereon,threaded revoluble sleeves mounted in said jaws and having the polygonal heads at their contiguous ends, the right and left threaded rods screwed separately into the sleeves to be adjusted thereby, and means for retaining the sleeves in alinement with each other, substantially as described.

5. A tension device for drums consisting of a baseplate provided with a bearing-plate, jaws clamped to said base-plate on opposite asse sides of the bearing-plate, the threaded revoluble sleeves mounted in said jaws and having the pcljf'gonal headsconned between the jaws and the bearing-plate, a connectingpin supported in the bearing-plate and eX- tending into the sleeves, and the threaded rods screwed separately into the sleeves, substantially as described.

G. A tension device for drums consisting of a base-plate having the transverse Seats, a clamping-plate, screws passing through the clamping and base plates and connected to the jaws to hold the parts firmly together, the revoluble sleeves mounted in the jaws and provided with the polygonal heads at their contiguous ends, and the threaded rods 'screwed separately into the sleeves, substantially as described.

ln testimony that l claim the foregoing as my own l have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses. j

JUDSON W. INGALSBE. lfitnesses:

FRED GUHsE, Jr., BEN B. FOX. 

